By Leah Harris
The stress Americans feel about the election may be a punchline on late night television shows, but it’s no joke. The American Psychological Association conducts an annual survey about the state of stress in America, and two responses from this year’s survey illustrate the country’s concern about dire consequences.
First, more than 7 in 10 survey respondents (72%) were worried the election results could lead to violence. And more than half of the respondents (56%) fear that the 2024 presidential election could be the end of democracy in the country. Election fear has become so widespread that Crisis Text Line has dedicated a specific keyword for people needing support. While there is no one-size-fits-all or easy answers for navigating these times, below are some navigational insights from psychology and neuroscience.
Prioritize Sleep
An American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey found that nearly half of respondents (46%) lost sleep due to election fears. Attending to sleep can be easier said than done in the age of the doomscroll. “We live in an information-saturated world, which can overwhelm our ability to unwind at night,” said American Academy of Sleep Medicine spokesperson Dr. Andrew Spektor in a statement. If it feels impossible or unrealistic to kick the phone out of the bedroom, some techniques to reduce harm include reducing screen brightness, muting non-essential chats, and using Do Not Disturb settings. “The world is stressful enough without adding the strain of sleepless nights,” Dr. Spektor said.
Practice Emotional Acceptance
UC Berkeley psychology professor Iris Maus encourages practicing emotional acceptance as a way to feel better in the moment without bypassing or repressing difficult emotions. Unlike reframing which can decrease the desire to act, acceptance is linked with an increase in efforts to work for social change. “Acceptance was linked with a greater tendency to take action in line with one’s values,” Mauss said. “It’s possible that this is because with acceptance, people feel less scared, while at the same time they are aware of their feelings and can let their feelings guide and motivate their actions.”
Find Solace in Service
Half of adults (51%) who responded to the APA survey said they feel “more compelled to volunteer or support causes they value as a result of the state of our nation.” The survey notes that this is a significant increase from the 45% who said so in 2019, before the 2020 presidential election. No matter the outcome of this current election, there are going to be causes that need ongoing support for the long haul. Further, working for change with people who share your values helps to build community and the world we all want.
For further exploration:
- Anxious about the election? UC Berkeley psychologists explain how to cope (UC Berkeley News)
- Stress in America 2024 (American Psychological Association)
- 5 ways to avoid getting sucked into election stress (Mashable)
- Majority of Americans are stressed by the election, survey finds. Here’s how to cope. (CBS News)
- Survey reveals election and world worries keep Americans awake (American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
- Election Anxiety Is Real — Here Are Some Tips To Help (Stony Brook University News)
Leah Harris is a non-binary, queer, neurodivergent, disabled Jewish writer, facilitator, and organizer working in the service of truth-telling, justice-doing, and liberation. They’ve had work published in the New York Times, CNN, and Pacific Standard. You can learn more about their work at their website and follow them on Instagram.